Photo: Kaldari, Public domainCity guide · Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Barbecue, Explained
Where critics and locals agree, by style and neighborhood, plus a one-day route, food trucks and sell-out tips.
Pulled pork, baked beans and mac and cheese from Peg Leg Porker. Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Memphis barbecue · The Gulch
Peg Leg Porker
Dry ribs, pulled pork and more than 30 local drafts from pitmaster Carey Bringle.
Owner verifiedQ&A with pitmaster Carey Bringle ↓On the Tennessee BBQ TrailOn 2 best-of lists
Carey Bringle
Owner Q&A
Answered in writing on Nov 2, 2026. Spelling, grammar and punctuation fixed. Added words are in [brackets]. Nothing else changed.10
From the pitmaster · In Carey’s words
- How did Carey first get into barbecue, and what's the story behind the Peg Leg Porker name?
- I grew up around barbecue. My family has deep roots in West Tennessee, and cooking with my grandfather and uncle was part of my childhood. I loved the food, but I also loved the people and the time spent around the pit. That eventually led to competition barbecue and, in 2013, opening Peg Leg Porker with my wife, Delaniah. The name is pretty straightforward. I lost my right leg to cancer when I was 17. I've always had a sense of humor about it, and Peg Leg Porker fit who I am. Surviving cancer taught me early that you don't need to put off doing the things you love.
- What wood do you cook with, and what kind of pits?
- We cook with hickory. That flavor is a big part of Tennessee barbecue and a big part of what we do. You want enough smoke to give the meat character, but you still need to taste the pork. Managing the fire and cooking consistently matter just as much as choosing the wood.
- Anything coming up, or anything you'd like us to promote and link?
- Being inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame this year was a huge honor. I started cooking because I loved barbecue and the people around it, so being recognized that way means a lot. I'd also love for people to check out Peg Leg Porker Spirits. We've put a lot of work into our Tennessee bourbon, and earning World's Best Bourbon was another proud moment. Barbecue and bourbon have both become a big part of our family's story. For restaurant information, catering, sauces, rubs, and merchandise, visit peglegporker.com (opens in a new tab). You can explore the bourbon at peglegporkerspirits.com (opens in a new tab).
- What makes a Tennessee dry-rub rib different from other ribs?
- What we serve is rooted in the West Tennessee dry-rib tradition. "Dry" refers to the seasoning, not the meat. The rib should still be tender and juicy. We smoke ours and finish them with our dry seasoning after cooking, rather than coating them in a sticky glaze. You taste the pork, the hickory smoke, and then the seasoning. Try that first bite without sauce.
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Why go
Peg Leg Porker is family owned and operated by Carey and Delaniah Bringle. Carey opened the Nashville restaurant in 2013 in The Gulch.18 He has been asked to cook at the James Beard House 2 times.1 At opening in 2013, Bringle served pork and chicken and no brisket, and called it Tennessee barbecue. That first menu had a pulled pork sandwich and platter, dry ribs, wet ribs and a yardbird platter, with whole hog on weekends.9
The pork was hickory-smoked as of 2013.9 By 2019 his Memphis-inspired menu took in dry rubbed ribs, yardbird smoked chicken, smoked wings, mac and cheese and smoked green beans.8 Folks come for the dry ribs, pulled pork and wings, and stay for a cold one: the bar pours more than 30 local drafts. Come hungry, and come early if you've got your heart set on something, because they serve items until they run out.12
On these lists
What to order
Dry ribs
Eater named them one of the country's 23 essential barbecue dishes in 2016.
Source: Eater Nashville2Pulled pork sandwich with slaw
The Infatuation calls the pulled pork a thing of beauty, especially as a sandwich with creamy slaw.
Source: The Infatuation3Barbecue nachos
Recommended by Tennessee Tourism.
Source: Tennessee Department of Tourist Development4Smoked green beans, mac and cheese, banana pudding
The sides and dessert The Infatuation points to.
Source: The Infatuation3
Good to know
What people are saying
Posts and videos from people who’ve eaten here, pulled from 4 platforms and linked to the original.
By the numbersHow we counted
We use AI-assisted search to find public posts and press about each spot, then check them by hand. We can’t see every post, so these numbers count what we found, not everything out there. Last updated Oct 26, 2026.
- Press mentions: articles and lists in the press list on this page, all free to read.
- Creator posts: TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook posts on this page dated in the last 12 months. YouTube videos without a stored date are not counted. Reddit threads are not counted as creator posts.
- Creators: distinct accounts behind the creator posts on this page.
- Best-of lists: press pieces on this page that are "best of" roundups including this spot. We list them, we don't rank.
- Price: our own cost guide, not a ranking. We take the typical meal range from the spot's current menu and use its midpoint: $ under $12, $$ $12 to $20, $$$ $20 to $35, $$$$ over $35.
- Exotic Bourbon HunterYouTubeView on YouTube ↗
- r/nashvilleReddit · Oct 2017View on Reddit ↗
- r/nashvilleReddit · Jan 2026View on Reddit ↗
- @MrComfortFoodX · Apr 2026View on X ↗
- @foodtraveltoiletsTikTok · Aug 2021View on TikTok ↗
- @lukefoodsTikTok · Jun 2023View on TikTok ↗
- @kevinsbbqjointsTikTok · Oct 2025View on TikTok ↗
- @henryyolivaTikTok · Jul 2026View on TikTok ↗
Tap a post to play it here. We never edit posts or pay for them.
See all 14 posts →In the press
- Mar 6, 2026Eat The Way · Peg Leg Porker in Nashville: My Real ExperienceBlog
- Jun 17, 2016Eater · The 23 Essential Barbecue Dishes in AmericaDry ribs named one of 23 essential barbecue dishes
- Eater Nashville · The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Nashville
- The Infatuation · The 12 Best BBQ Spots In Nashville
- PBS / Clean Slate with Becky Magura · Carey Bringle (Season 4, Episode 1)
On the trail
Peg Leg Porker is stop 2 on the Tennessee BBQ Trail
Two days and seven stops, from Nashville whole hog to Memphis ribs.
See the trail- Stop 1 · Martin's Bar-B-Que JointWhole-hog pulled pork sandwich with slaw
- Stop 2 · Peg Leg PorkerDry ribs and a pulled pork sandwich
- Stop 3 · B.E. Scott's Bar-B-QueWhole-hog sandwich with slaw, inside or outside meat
- Stop 4 · Leonard's Pit BarbecuePork sandwich with slaw
- Stop 5 · The Bar-B-Q ShopBarbecue spaghetti and half-and-half ribs
- Stop 6 · A&R Bar-B-Que (optional)Barbecue bologna, fried pies to go
- Stop 7 · Charlie Vergos' RendezvousA full order of ribs with slaw
Near the Gulch
Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
Open dailyDowntown · 4th Avenue South · about 0.5 mi
410 4th Avenue South
Rippy's Honky Tonk
Lower Broadway · about 0.6 mi
429 Broadway
Redneck Riviera
Open dailyLower Broadway · about 0.8 mi
208 Broadway
Distances are straight-line miles from Peg Leg Porker, not driving distance.
Related guides
Photo: Kaldari, Public domain
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0Road trip · Nashville to Memphis
The Tennessee BBQ Trail
Nashville to Memphis in two days: whole hog in Lexington, dry ribs and barbecue spaghetti in Memphis. Free printable map.
Photo: Southern Foodways Alliance, CC BY 2.0Style guide · Tennessee
Memphis vs. Nashville BBQ
Dry rub vs. sauce, ribs vs. whole hog, and where to taste each, all sourced.
Own Peg Leg Porker? Get a Featured partner listing (paid)
Researched by Erik Peterson, sources linked below.
Sources (10) · every fact on this page links to one
- Peg Leg Porker: hours, location and about · Peg Leg Porker · Checked Oct 26, 2026
- The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Nashville · Eater Nashville · checked Oct 26, 2026
- The 12 Best BBQ Spots In Nashville · The Infatuation · published Oct 14, 2026 · checked Oct 26, 2026
- Made in Tennessee: Bucket List Barbecue Spots · Tennessee Department of Tourist Development · checked Oct 26, 2026
- The American Barbecue Regional Style Guide · Eater · published Jun 16, 2016 · checked Oct 26, 2026
- Peg Leg Porker: behind the scenes tour · Kevin's BBQ Joints · checked Oct 26, 2026
- Peg Leg Porker's rooftop bar, the Pig Pen · Eater Nashville · published Jun 6, 2018 · checked Oct 26, 2026
- Barbecue Road Trip: Southern Edition · Tampa Magazines · published May 30, 2019 · checked Oct 26, 2026
- Peg Leg Porker opens in the Gulch · Nashville Lifestyles · published Jul 12, 2013 · checked Oct 26, 2026
- Owner Q&A by email, pitmaster Carey Bringle · Peg Leg Porker (owner) · published Nov 2, 2026 · checked Oct 26, 2026
We don’t publish our own scores. Partner listings are always labeled and never change what we recommend. Hours change, so check before you drive.